Los Angeles Wildfire; Mayor Karen Bass Slammed For Budget Cut
Los Angeles, US: The dangerous and uncontained wind-driven fire broke out has wrecked havoc in Los Angeles. While LA is simmering in the furnace, Mayor Karen Bass was on other side of the globe. She was sent to Ghana by President Joe Biden for the inauguration of its new President. While firefighters are leaving no stone unturned in curbing the raging blaze, resources ran out, as water hydrants were stretched to its limit.
Bass came under severe criticism after reports emerged that she had cut budget of allocation for the fire department. Reportedly, the mayor slashed the fire department budget by more than $17 million last year, as she directed more resources toward addressing homelessness.
From the 2023-2024 to the 2024-2025 budgets, the fire department’s budget was reduced by over $17 million, from $837.19 million to $819.64, as per media report. Out of the $1.3 billion budget for the homeless, roughly half the budget for homelessness went unspent.
For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Los Angeles allocated $837 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), accounting for roughly 65 per cent of the $1.3 billion budget designated for homelessness initiatives, according to Fox News.
Also Read: Los Angeles: Wild Fire Spreads To Hollywood Hills; Celebrities Among The Affected
The budget cut for Los Angeles came despite climate experts’ warning that the region is at high risk of wildfires, extreme events and dry conditions.
Over the past decade, Los Angeles has experienced a significant number of wildfires, many of which have been highly destructive. Fifteen of the 20 most destructive wildfires in California have occurred in the past decade.
Bass’ Ghana travel was also slammed as reports of an impending windstorm in the region came last week. By Thursday last week, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles had begun warning of “extreme fire weather conditions.” By Sunday, the warnings had become even more dire — “rapid fire growth and extreme behavior with any fire starts”.
On the reports of lack of enough water to fight the fires, Bass said, “The water pressure dropped as a result of a massive need to fight this unprecedented incident”.
Also Read: Wild Fires And Air Pollution Ensues 135 Million Premature Deaths: Study
The Palisades neighbourhood, which was home to several A-list Hollywood celebrities and billionaires, were burned to ashes. Reportedly, the fire has consumed 15,832 acres and hundreds of structures in the hills between Santa Monica and Malibu, racing down Topanga Canyon until reaching the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.
A letter from L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warning Bass about regarding the issues caused by the budget cut is also circulating on social media platform. In the letter sent last month, the fire chief said that the budget cut “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires”.
L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned Mayor Karen Bass (D) last month the $17+ million she cut from the department’s budget “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires” pic.twitter.com/tgzIAeHIsQ
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 9, 2025
